CHANGES I made- I made this like a lebanese green bean salad, I added carmelized onions (put onions sliced/chhopped in oil in a pan on low heat until nice & brown but not burned) and garlic. don't under salt this. i think i also added sun flower seeds don't omit the pepitas they really add a lot.

If we're also sharing nutritional information, here's something I learnt from our nutritionist the other day: if you're rushing off to work with no time for breakfast and plan to pick up something at your local coffee shop then don't be tempted by the muffins.

Even though they're labelled bran muffins with raisins, they're still high in fat and sugar. Add a full size latte and you've got almost the same number of calories as a fried breakfast with sausages, bacon and egg.

The alternatives are:

- if you have time to go and buy a coffee, you have time to eat breakfast.

- if you really don't have time for breakfast, grab an apple and yoghurt from your fridge on the way out and make your own coffee when you get to the office. You save calories, you save money and you save time.

Just made quinoa tonight for dinner. I like quinoa both hot and cold with a salad but tonight did it hot. Chopped up onions, avocado, broccoli, fresh basil and sauteed them in olive oil. Then added fresh pico de gallo to the pan at the end. I put 1/2 cup hot quinoa topped with some hand shredded parmesan followed by the sauteed mix. It was very satisfying and filling.

Great recipe for quinoa. Always looking for news ways to eat it. I have never cooked avocado ---never thought it should be cooked. This gives me a great reason to try. oh and Katie I agree about breakfast.....

Sillygirl, I have a vegan friend who showed me so many ways to cook with avocado. Like you, I love it fresh, but it's great cooked to. Try it with crab or shrimp spiced however you like with a little melted cheese. You broil it and OMG it's almost as good as sex! My friend also eats avocado and peanut butter sands. Gotta say I haven't done that one yet!

Iamnoone, I have been a fan of Dr. Weil for years! I've got diabetes, kidney disease and heart disease in my family. Obesity on both sides...my parents should never have hooked up (-: anyway, after spurts of eating right then returning to bad habits, I started really working at improving my health about 21/2 years ago. I am now med free, have a resting heart rate of between 58 and 62 and a low BP, good cholesterol etc. I find most of Stacy's healthy life suggestions lite to say the least, but she is right about eating healthily to feel healthy. Guess it's just how one defines healthy. And I too thank you for this thread. Love sharing recipes. Anyone else a fan of foodgawker.com?

I'm not a vegetarian or vegan either Vi. Just have lots of friends who are and they've introduced me to lots of new foods and to some great ways of cooking them. I eat pretty much everything, just am working on portion control. Never learned that as a kid and I swear I have to wait 45 mins after eating before it registers in my stomach that I AM FULL. Have to say my healthiest friends are the vegetarians though.

oh wow I've never heard of food gawker, just went there and i LOVED it. already snagged a lentil & greens soup recipe.

btw- when I'm in the mood to indulge I adore chocolate. SEES Candies are the best,, they do not use wheat flour on their production lines like some candy companies do. My favorite is their "normandy' which is a chocolate covered brown sugar cream with nuts. yum.

Dropping off another favorite recipe this is from the wholefoods website, I used a lot more basil and tons more feta. i think I made some other changes but don't remember now.

15-Minute BeetsThe beautiful color of beets also reflects their rich concentration of health-promoting phytonutrient antioxidants, which add free-radical protection to your Healthiest Way of Eating. They are also rich in folate and manganese.

Fill the bottom of a steamer with 2 inches of water.While the water is coming to a boil, wash beets, leaving 2 inches of tap root and 1 inch of the stem on the beets. Cut beets into quarters. Do not peel.Steam covered for 15 minutes. Beets are cooked when you can easily insert a fork on the tip of a knife into the beet. Although some of their colorful phytonutrients are lost to the steaming water, there is plenty of color and nutrients left in the beets.Press or chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting properties.Peel beets using a paper towel.Transfer beets to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients while they are still hot.Serves 2

Isn't foodgawker great?! Love that site. Loved Sees but had to stop eating chocolate (probably for the best...) a few years ago, along with coffee. Had migraines everyday. Stopped both choc and coffee and they went away. Don't know which one it was but am too afraid to eat or drink either! Helped with my diet to say the least!

I found foodgawker after we moved from a city to a small town with horrible restaurants. I love Asian food--Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese--and thanks to foodgawker, we can enjoy wonderful dishes even tho we live in a food desert!

Great idea: Here is one receipe, my mother-in-law gave me 16 years ago, vegetarian for you all to try - its simply delicious - silicilian/italian dish I believe.

Use a big baking dish - set oven to 180 c.Peel 5 large potatoes, then slice thin, cover with a little salt.Peel if you wish too, 2 large eggplants, slice and cover with a little salt (sometimes I leave skin on)Peel and slice lengthwise, 3-4 large zuccinis, cover with salt.Lightly toast 1 cup of breadcrumbs, gluten free if you prefer.Make your own passata or use a large glass jar (or 2) of pasta sauce, napoletana or plain tomota with little basil works best.Rinse all the salt off the vegies then in your greased baking dish, put a little tomato pasta sauce on the bottom then do 1 layer of potato, cover with more sauce and sprinkle breadcrumbs over, repeat with eggplant, then zuccini, then potato again until dish is full or all vegies used, cover each layer of vegies with sauce and breadcrumbs, finish with a layer of sauce on top. Cook in oven for around 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted shows that the potato is cooked. An alternative is too add chunks of mozerella throughout the layers and for the last 15 minutes of cooking, spinkle tasty cheese on top.

I usually make this as a side to add with whatever meat dishes I have prepared along with salads.

I make a "house salad" at home with slliced tomatoes, romaine lettuce, vandalia onions, avocado. I sometimes grate a bit of baby carrots and celery, and sprinkle garlic salt over the entire salad. Then, I pour Italian vinagrette dressing over the salad, and toss well. This salad goes with just about anything main dish. I swear by vinagrette dressing because it is low-calorie, and the olive oil helps reduce cholesterol in the body. So, it is all good.

a salad healthy, low calorie and nice to see, thinly sliced ​​fennel with pomegranate grainy and seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. Accompany grilled fish or seafood and very fresh.Salad as a main dish: spinach with small leaves, bacon passed to the grill, shaved pecorino or parmesan cheese and walnuts, salt and oil

Hi everyoneI'm bringing dessert to a very important Italian family member of my husbands this weekend. I want to bring a dessert that looks and tastes impressive but is not to difficult or time consuming. Any ideas would be appreciated.

I love my spaniard roots. My favorite food is a salad calledEscalivada from region of Catalonia. A Catalan salad is a salad that consists of several types of grilled vegetables, such as eggplants, sweet red peppers, red tomatoes, and sweet onions. Once well cooked on the grill, those vegetables are peeled and sliced in strips, the seeds removed, and seasoned with olive oil and salt, and sometimes with garlic as well.

I love putting fruit and vegis together in salads. Tonight we had cucumbers I peeled and De-seeded with an Asian pear and pomegranates. For a dressing I just used rice wine vinegar with a bit of agave to sweeten it.

theminis wrote:Hi everyoneI'm bringing dessert to a very important Italian family member of my husbands this weekend. I want to bring a dessert that looks and tastes impressive but is not to difficult or time consuming. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Well, here is a simple-yet-elegant dessert that is loved by all Italians. It is called, "tiramisu (pick me up)."

Break ladyfingers (this is a sweet cookie shaped in long, thin bars) into one-inch pieces and place at the bottom of a parfait glass. Lightly soak the pieces with strong expresso coffee. add whipped cream to the top. Then, lightly drizzle chocolate sauce over the whipped cream, and sprinkle light chocolate shavings on top of everything.

You can find ladyfingers in a bakery, or in an international food store. You should be able to find a good recipe for tiramisu online.

theminis wrote:Hi everyoneI'm bringing dessert to a very important Italian family member of my husbands this weekend. I want to bring a dessert that looks and tastes impressive but is not to difficult or time consuming. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Well, here is a simple-yet-elegant dessert that is loved by all Italians. It is called, "tiramisu (pick me up)."

Break ladyfingers (this is a sweet cookie shaped in long, thin bars) into one-inch pieces and place at the bottom of a parfait glass. Lightly soak the pieces with strong expresso coffee. add whipped cream to the top. Then, lightly drizzle chocolate sauce over the whipped cream, and sprinkle light chocolate shavings on top of everything.

You can find ladyfingers in a bakery, or in an international food store. You should be able to find a good recipe for tiramisu online.

Good Night and Good Luck. LOL

I the "tiramisu" I do it with the mascherpone worked with powdered sugar and a glass of rum without whipped cream and then dusted with cocoa powder

theminis wrote:Hi everyoneI'm bringing dessert to a very important Italian family member of my husbands this weekend. I want to bring a dessert that looks and tastes impressive but is not to difficult or time consuming. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Well, here is a simple-yet-elegant dessert that is loved by all Italians. It is called, "tiramisu (pick me up)."

Break ladyfingers (this is a sweet cookie shaped in long, thin bars) into one-inch pieces and place at the bottom of a parfait glass. Lightly soak the pieces with strong expresso coffee. add whipped cream to the top. Then, lightly drizzle chocolate sauce over the whipped cream, and sprinkle light chocolate shavings on top of everything. You can find ladyfingers in a bakery, or in an international food store. You should be able to find a good recipe for tiramisu online.

Good Night and Good Luck. LOL

I the "tiramisu" I do it with the mascherpone worked with powdered sugar and a glass of rum without whipped cream and then dusted with cocoa powder

I owe everyone an apology, I said whipped cream instead of marscapone cheese. If you do not have marscapone cheese, use either ricotta or cream cheese (neufchatel). You can get a good tiramisu recipe online on various websites.

Thank you all - tiramisu is also a good choice, have eaten it many times but never made it, always thought it was tricky to make, but from reading the above, I think that even I can make it! I can see that I will either be making or eating a lot of desserts this weekend!!

I make my tiramisu in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and strips of waxed paper or parchment . I layer the tiramisu in the loaf pan and cover with waxed paper and wrap and put in the freezer . When I am ready to serve I take out my loaf and slice like a terrine and garnish each serving slice with chocolate curls . The leftover tiramisu goes back in the loaf pan and in the freezer for another time .